Page 43 of Scandal’s Daughter

“S-Sindalton?” she stammered, staring up at him in horror.

“Yes, of course, I saw him earlier, he ...” Lord Nibley stopped in his tracks, staring at her and mirroring the horrified look in her eyes. “Oh, good God. M-Miss Bomford, I never even considered. I b-beg you to forgive me ... it never crossed my mind.”

She forced a smile and shook her head though her face felt flushed and rather hot and the atmosphere in the room had become oppressive at the idea she might have to face him at any moment. “Please, don’t think anything of it, my lord. It ... it was just a shock.”

Lord Nibley stooped a little further, his voice pitched low and full of concern. “You didn’t know he was here?”

She shook her head, seeming unable to form the words.

“S-silly of me,” she murmured.

“Not at all,” he said, suddenly sounding rather forceful. “I have to say I think you’re ... you’re magnificent.”

Georgiana looked up at him in surprise and he blushed a little at his rather forward statement and pushed his spectacles further up his nose.

“I can’t imagine the courage it must take to face all of these awful people, Miss Bomford. Though I for one consider you totally blameless and anyone who thinks otherwise is nothing but a narrow minded, scandal monger,” he said, with some considerable heat.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, dear Percy,” drawled an amused voice and Lord Nibley turned as Beau arrived, smiling at Georgiana with a knowing look in his eyes.

“Though I don’t think Miss Bomford has anything to worry about. From everything that has been said in my hearing, she is a great success.” He adopted a thoughtful expression as though he was trying to recall the comments. “Ah yes, Miss Bomford is perfectly charming, quite unaffected, delightful manners and quite as she ought to be ... oh, and terribly, terribly beautiful.”

There was an intense look in his eyes as he finished his little recital and Georgiana was forced to look away from him ... and straight at the tall and striking figure of a man she thought she had known very well.

She held her breath and stared.

He had his back to her, but Georgiana knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was him. She had the strangest feeling that the world had frozen around her, and her lungs had seized with it. She clutched at her throat as panic fluttered in her chest and was suddenly aware of a warm hand clasped gently around her wrist.

“What is it, love?” Beau asked, his voice quiet but urgent. “Who have you seen?”

“The m-man I thought was you. H-he’s here,” she stammered, knowing he was one of only two people in the world she could admit that to. Beau’s head whipped around, and he scanned the crowd.

“Where?” he demanded. “I swear I’ll kill him.”

“No.” She shook her head, unable to take her eyes from him though her vision began to blur. Beau followed her gaze and caught his breath just as he turned and made his profile visible.

“That’s him?” he demanded, with such rage in his voice, she caught her breath. “The tall fellow with dark hair, next to the lady in violet?”

She nodded, too miserable to deny it. Seeing him again brought his lies and betrayal rushing back to her and she was torn between wanting to cross the room and slap his face and running away as fast as she could. In the end she did neither, too frozen to react at all.

“I’ll bloody kill him,” Beau raged, glaring at him.

“Who is he?” she asked, her voice trembling as she looked up into his furious blue eyes.

“That, madam,” he replied, with cold anger glittering in his eyes. “Is Sebastian Grenville, the Duke of Sindalton.”

She didn’t have time to react, to have the luxury of assimilating this horrifying piece of information, because at that moment the duke turned around and their eyes met.

For a moment, behind his obvious shock, she thought she saw something in his eyes, relief, happiness even ... and then he took in the fact that Beau stood beside her, and that the eyes of everyone in the room were watching them.

The moment stretched on, stretched so thin it was as though the oxygen had been sucked from the room. Overwhelmed she didn’t know what to do, how to react until she heard Beau’s voice.

“Look at me. Now!” His voice was low but so forceful she could do nothing but obey him and her eyes snapped to his. “Take my arm,” he said, holding her gaze, his voice calm now but brooking no argument. Once her hand was settled upon his sleeve, he covered it with his hand and pulled her in the opposite direction. “We shall take a little walk,” he said, keeping his voice soft. “And everything will be just fine. Now look at me and laugh.”

She looked up at him, blinking, too bewildered to understand what was happening. “Laugh?” she echoed, wondering if he’d run mad.

He ducked his head a little to whisper in her ear. “Everyone is watching us,” he said. “They are watching your reaction. Do not give them the satisfaction. Now laugh.”

He looked back at her and winked as though he’d just said something rather shocking and she forced a laugh that sounded a little too close to hysteria for comfort.